The memory of his kiss played in my mind and made me ache so badly. So badly that I touched myself and came hard against my hand. I tried desperately to forget him, forget his touch, and forget how much I had wanted him.

Who was worse? Was it him, the monster? Or me, who could not help but desire him despite all his darkness?

I heard screaming and crashing.

Stumbling out of bed, I ran out of my room. Something was shattering. There was so much noise all at once. My heart was beating so loud, and I thought we were getting robbed. I hissed the moment I stepped on broken glasses. Avoiding the rest, I kept moving forward to the living room.

My hands flew to my mouth when I saw Veronica with a baseball bat in her hand as she smashed the glass coffee table, which shattered into pieces. I looked around the room, seeing everything broken and destroyed.

Miriam was begging her to stop while staying a bit far from her as if she was scared to approach her. I had never seen Veronica like this. She looked mad and wild, and every hit recognized her anger. I stayed at the doorway, watching everything unfold without attempting to interfere. I wish I could, but this was too much. She was swinging at everything close to her.

"I want that asshole in here!" Veronica screamed like a banshee as she swung at the chandelier, knocking off the stones and rubies. I couldn't believe she was destroying everything. Why was she so mad?

"I told you," Miriam cried out in frustration and fear. "He's at work. We tried getting him on the phone—"

Veronica smashed the window, and I screamed at the bellowing sound. Behind me, the rest of the staff were whispering and pacing, trying to get a look at Veronica, and when Miriam saw them peeking in, she hissed at them, and they quickly scurried away.

"Ms. Veronica, this is completely insane. These are valuable things you're destroying. You cannot behave like this, or I will call security to escort you out."

Veronica screamed and charged at Miriam. That had me unfreezing. I took a step to interfere. A gust of wind brushed past me, and in seconds, Rogue was standing in between Miriam and Veronica, as he gripped her arm and held the bat with his other. There was no calm there, and I breathed slowly, trying to keep myself from having any twisted feelings.

"V, we've talked about this. You can't be destroying my properties. You don't want me to return the favor," he taunted, twisting her around until her back was to him. He easily took the bat from her hand and dropped it to the ground.

"I hate you so much, you asshole." Veronica elbowed him, and he laughed, turning her around. Rogue grabbed her face and forced her to look at him. "Did you hear me? I said, I hate you."

"A lot of people hate me, but you can't be one of them," he said sternly.

Veronica groaned and twisted in his arms. "Keep this shit up, and you won't have me by your side again," she threatened.

Rogue chuckled. "Why are you mad about what I did? Shouldn't I be mad for what you almost cost me? Have you forgotten the rules?"

What she almost cost him? Me? But why would that cost him? Last time I checked, he had accepted that I had nothing to offer him. I was still here because he thought it was necessary.

"What, help an innocent woman from your clutches? I know what it feels like, and I don't want you to trap her like you did me."

Were they even aware that I was still in the room? Common sense was telling me to get out of there as fast as I could, but I stayed glued to the spot, swallowing the annoyance and also curious about what they were saying. Was Rogue tying Veronica down?

"Is that what I did?" He sounded offended as he snorted. "When will you be honest with yourself, darling?"

"Let me go." Veronica twisted again, trying to get out from his hold as she aimed to elbow him, and when that didn't happen, she tried to step on his foot with her heel, but Rogue dodged with a chuckle.

"You won't destroy anything."

"Can I at least punch you?"

His hand went into her hair as he pushed it away. "You know you can," As he said it, he looked up, holding my eyes for a moment. I was forced to look into his green eyes, but I was surprised to see they were not cold at all. They were soft and heated, and he stared at me as though he was holding back something dangerous. "Cause me pain, if you want. Bruise me. I'm all yours."

That stole my breath from me. I watched as Rogue leaned his head down and whispered against her neck. His hand fisted the hair at the nape of her neck. He pulled slightly and exposed her neck to him. He planted kisses behind her ear and down her neck.

I turned and ran out of there. I bumped into Miriam. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her with me upstairs and into the safety of my room. When we got inside, I closed the door.

"Is she really married?" I interrogated Miriam because I couldn't help not asking. Veronica was something else. I wanted to believe she was sincere, but after what I just saw and the other day, I couldn't just believe what Rogue told me. That she was just as bad as he was.

Miriam sighed and rubbed her arm. "Those two...you can't come between them..." Her voice trailed off for a second, as though she was lost in some memory. Then she shook it off and continued, "Personally, I don't like their friendship. They're too bad for each other."

I wanted to know more. "How are they bad for each other? And you didn't answer me if she's married."

"Ms. Veronica is married," she confirmed with a slight nod. "But I have never seen him before. She doesn't bring him here."

So, it could also be that she wasn't married and pretending to? Wait, was she married to Rogue? I could barely breathe, unable to believe it, but what was my business with it?

"Why do you think they're bad for each other?" My voice was strangely hoarse. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Did something happen?"

"It's really not my place to say, Beth," she answered frantically. "But if it were, then I would tell you Ms. Veronica, and Mr. Slade suffocate each other. They fight and try to destroy each other, but their loyalty will only be with each other. What happened out there, it's the aftermath of what Mr. Slade must have done. I'm used to seeing things worse than that."

Every little hair on my body was standing on end, and I felt a chill roughening my skin with goosebumps. I turned and tried to squeeze my eyelids together, trying to keep the tears burning my eyes from leaking out. My heart was hurting so much. I was mad. Why would he still keep me here? It was so selfish of him. Why would he kiss me? Use me?

Breath, Beth. There was nothing to be upset about. I mulled on Miriam's words. Veronica. Rogue. Rogue. Veronica. I didn't know how long I remained there in my bed, vulnerable, gone to the world.

"Are you thinking about me?" Strong hands pressed into my shoulder. Without even talking, I still would know they were his hands, no matter who touched me, I would always know his hands. His thumb pressed on either side of my spine between my shoulders as his fingers speared through my hair and tugged gently.

I wanted to punch him. Kick him. Scream at him. All I could do was glare daggers at him. "Please, leave. I just want to be left alone." I exhaled a long breath.

"Ah, ah. That won't work, Beth," he said with feigned amusement. Fucking prick. He never stopped rubbing me.

"Already done with Veronica, and you're coming back to me?" I asked quietly, almost hoping he hadn't heard. Beth, what the fuck?

His fingers stilled, and I cursed myself for being me. And yet, my heart sped up. There was no answer at first. Only his hands continued to knead at my flesh. "You sound jealous. Are you jealous?" Rogue said softly, but the waver in his voice betrayed a hint of confusion. His fingers were doing that thing in my hair again. Only this time, he gently tilted my head, pressing his thumb along the curve behind my ear. I didn't want to feel. I didn't want to think of the sensations coursing through me.

My blood boiled with his bullshit. My bottom lip trembled, but not from sadness, from anger. "I'm not jealous. I'm just not interested in your mind games anymore. I want to go home." Like I had said so many times that I could count.

He seemed to be in control but slightly angry. "Speaking of home, want to hear an update from your friend? She gave birth to a beautiful boy." His fingers once again trailed along my scalp and behind my ear. "I'm sorry I didn't bring pictures."

I stilled. Lauren. Lauren had her baby? And he was just telling me now? He held me down when I tried to face him. "Please, let me have my phone. I just want to see him and talk to her. I won't tell her anymore." I knew I was being sincere right then. I wanted to know how she saw. I wanted to see her baby. It hurts me so much that I wasn't there with her and that Rogue wasn't letting me see her and the baby.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I sent back congratulations and presents on your behalf," he said, his emotions masked behind a placid expression.

"This isn't fair!"

He laughed, and the sound of it sent an obscure thrill through me. "Life is not fair, but that's how it toughens you up." The sudden power in his voice made me jump. He rolled himself out of bed. I went with him.

"I hate you. You've no idea how much I hate you right now."

His laughter abruptly died, and his grip in my hair was less than pleasant. I stilled, biting the hell out of my lip. "Beth, you know I don't like that word. Just like how love is a passionate emotion, hate also is, but so is madness. You don't want to see either of those three from me."

He walked toward the door and stopped, his hand grasping the knob. With his back to me, he said, "Veronica says hello." He left and shut the door behind him.

———

I didn't sleep that night.

I kept myself awake. Sleep couldn't come. I tossed and turned in bed, but my eyes were wide open. When I got tired of staying in bed, I left the room. The house was quiet. I tiptoed down the hall. I made sure not to make any kind of noise.

I didn't remember paying attention to where I was going. I only found myself going deeper and deeper inside the house. I led myself to another part of the house that was strictly forbidden. I didn't care. There were no cameras in the house. I would be in and out of there fast.

The first door that I tried was closed. The next one had a passcode. Ignoring the rest, I charged down the corridor and almost passed another door when I heard grumbling. I was going to ignore it and move along, but the noises inside were low but still loud all the same. Like something was calling for attention.

I tried the door, and it opened. It was dark inside the room. I stepped in and closed the door behind me. Immediately I was in, I heard a muffled sound. Turning right, I saw someone crouched down in the room. I held my breath.

"Hello?" I said quietly. There was nothing. I walked closer until I could make out the first on the floor. I gasped out loud. "Hanna!" She was on the floor, tied in robes and with duct tape over her mouth.

I was shaking.

I knelt in front of her, tugging off the duct tape over her mouth. She muttered something incoherently, but her eyes were still closed. Her hair was disheveled. She looked pale and weak. With shaky hands, I untied the robes around her, then started to shake her awake.

"Hanna," I muttered quietly, shaking her. "Hanna, wake up." Dread filled me when she didn't respond or opened her eyes. I bit my lip so hard that I drew blood.

Hanna moved. She didn't open her eyes or responded. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't carry her out of the room, and I couldn't call for help. I sat down on the floor, trying to keep myself from hyperventilating. I was panicking. So many thoughts occupied my mind.

Rogue had kidnapped Hanna. Rogue had Hanna all along? He lied to me.

"Hanna," I tried again, but nothing. At least, she was alive. "What did he do to you?" A voice inside my head was yelling at me to do something. I needed to get her out of here. I needed to get out and call the police.

Though I struggled not to make a single sound, my lungs heaved for breath, rising and falling in the rhythm of my panic. I touched her arm, then stood up, finally looking around my surrounding. It was an empty room. There was nothing, but still, I tried to search for something. Nothing. I couldn't find anything.

I rushed back to Hanna and touched her again. Relieved that she was still alive, a shiver ran through me when I realized that I couldn't get her out. Not right now. Not while she was unresponsive. She was heavy. I wouldn't even reach out of the room with her. I needed to go back. In as much as I hated leaving her here, I had to. For the sake of us both. I needed to keep her here. I was glad I found her.

Quickly putting the duct tape on her mouth and tying the ropes around her, I positioned her like I found her and ended up hugging her tightly to myself.

"I will get you out of here, I promise you," I whispered, even though I couldn't be sure she could hear me. Hanna didn't deserve this. With one last look, I went out of the room.

I bit my lip, holding in my panicked sobs. Back in my room, I had to instruct myself to breathe. I started pacing. I let out a soundless scream. I yanked at my hair, then ended up on my knees. It was so hard to process what had just happened. I found Hanna. I was extremely happy about that, but I couldn't believe she was here all along.

Rogue. Why did he kidnap her? Why did he play those games with me? He knew he had her, so what was his game? Why would he get me here and made it look like I was the guilty one? Silence. My heart hammered in my chest. It didn't make any sense. Why would he do that to Hanna? She was his friend's sister. He actually looked worried about her disappearance. Was everything an act?

The answer was obvious, yet so much was hidden.

I dragged myself up and sat at the edge of my bed. There was no way out of this house, so confronting him about Hanna, or telling him that I found her would only result in the worst kind of consequences. I couldn't imagine what he would do to her or me. I needed to keep this secret to myself, and when I get the opportunity to escape, I will take her with me. Right now, I needed to think about what to do next. I would play along with his games. I would not question him again. But when the right time comes, it would be over for him.